[W2CRA] RESCUE RADIO: RACES ASSITS IN NJ ANIMAL RESCUE DRILL

[Bill Powell]

Will be broadcast on the Thursday Net

RESCUE RADIO:  RACES ASSITS IN NJ ANIMAL RESCUE DRILL

Emergency service workers handling large animals during an a disaster. That was the theme of a preparedness drill in central New Jersey on Sunday afternoon June 8th. One that involved not only  horses, ponies, goats, alpacas, donkey and young cow, but ham radio operators as well.

The exercise consisted of evacuating and registering the animals in a shelter set up at the Hunterdon County Fairgrounds. About 40 volunteer members of a local County Animal Rescue Team took part. Communications for the operation was provided by members of the County's Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service group

The scenario for the exercise was the imaginary collision of a car with a train at the crossroads in Franklin Township.  The accident supposedly caused the train carrying hydrochloric acid to derail with the toxic acid leaking out and leading to a general evacuation of the area.  The ham radio equipped County Animal Rescue Team had responsibility of evacuating the animals in the affected zone.

By the time the drill had been completed, more than a dozen animals volunteered by their owners, had been transported to the fairgrounds and registered.  The complete story is on-line at http://www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080609/NEWS/806090320/1002/NEWS03 
(mycentraljersey.com)